Screaming in the Silence Read Online Free PDF Page B

feeling as if I was walking for the first time, and then took I took a few more.
    I circled the room, examining everything that was now in my world. The faucet on the wash basin was rusted. I turned the knobs and a thick, brown stream of water flowed into the drain. I let it run for a few moments and it eventually turned clear although I didn't trust it enough to drink it. Next, I opened the fridge and was hit with a foul smell. Molded fruit and leftovers lay inside along with a few beers on the door.
    Turning around, I walked to the stairs and peered up, surprised to find the door had been left open. I grabbed my toothbrush and climbed slowly up the rickety wooden staircase, waiting for one of the trembling boards to crack under my feet. I stepped hesitantly into the bright living room, unsure of who I would find. I had lost all sense of time in the windowless basement and the clock on the wall read 10:45.
    Kaden sat at the table, a laptop open in front of him, and an angry expression on his face. He didn't look at me as I entered the room although I know he heard me. His green eyes glowed in the reflection of the screen, and his full lips were pursed tightly together.
    I knew he was probably investigating my family, searching to find which relative could pay the most for my safe return. But I didn't want to be there if he happened to stumble upon my father's name. I took my toothbrush and walked up stairs to the bathroom. The window had been boarded shut. Even though the house now felt more like a prison, at least I was able to roam it freely.
    I felt sick when I looked at my face in the mirror. My already bruised and beaten face was now swollen around my eyes. I stripped my clothes off and turned on the water in the shower. I lathered my body with soap, washed my hair repeatedly, and then lathered my body again. But nothing could wash away the feeling of Ray's hands on my skin or his tongue on my face.
    When I was done, I opened the shower curtain and screamed, jumping back against the wall as I saw Kaden's infuriated face inches from mine.
    What are you doing?
I signed to him when I had control of my shaking hands.
    "Tell me, Raleigh, what about this don't you understand? Keeping these secrets from me isn't going to help you."
    I don't know…
    "Speak! They're fucking gone!"
    "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied as I reached for my towel from the day before. Kaden grabbed it and threw it at me, throwing up his hands in frustration.
    "This isn't funny. If Ray and Marshal find out who your father is, we're fucked."
    "No, I'm already fucked," I snapped at him. "You've kidnapped me, remember? Regardless of if they find out or not, this isn't going to go well for me."
    "It will go a lot better if you do exactly what I say and stop lying."
    "Why should I do anything you say?" I challenged him although I already knew the answer.
    He grabbed my arm and brought his face closer to mine. "You want a repeat of last night? Maybe next time, I won't hear you scream."
    My face became solemn and I looked away. "I don't want that to happen again," I finally admitted.
    Kaden's fingers turned my head toward his. "I won't let it. Just tell me if there is anything else you're keeping from me."
    I shook my head. He didn't want my whole life story. He wanted money and now he knew exactly where he could get it. I don't know if he realized the boat he was throwing himself into. A senator's daughter, even one that hasn't been able to maintain a functional relationship with her father since age six, wasn't someone to be toyed with. The resources at my father's disposal were almost endless and Kaden was going to be lucky if he was able to outsmart them.
    "Get dressed and come downstairs. We've got a lot to talk about." He released my arm and left me standing in the shower. A clean shirt had replaced the blood stained one he had given me yesterday and was neatly folded on the ground next to my jeans.
    I dressed quickly and walked